 |
Thailand offers some of the best opportunities for diving in the world. Many dive sites are considered world class in standard. Both east and west coastlines and the countless offshore islands are popular among divers for their clear waters and colorful marine life. Whether an accomplished diver or just a beginner, you won't be disappointed with Thailand's undersea world.
So it's no great surprise that so many amateur divers have turned professional here. Some have even turned into dive shop operators and run diving schools in Thailand. In recent years, dive operators have increased enormously at several popular dive sites including Pattaya, Phuket, Samui, Ko Phangan and others .
Ko Tao - A special significence :
Ko Tao is popular for its diving centers, schools and shops, mostly owned by foreigners, mushrooming on this tiny eastern island. It's possible for a dedicated beginner to start from scratch and climb the ladder all the way up to the instructor level here, something that usually takes years to accomplish. The reputation of Ko Tao has blazed across the world during the past few years.
But Thailand has many more diving sites for your choice. If you are looking for sites that are less crowded but equally wonderful, then you can check out the hundreds of islands in both the Gulf of Thailand and the Andaman Sea.
The majority of diving destinations close to Phuket are located in nearby Phangnga , where hundreds of limestone islands rise up from the blue waters. Also popular are the largely uninhabited Similan Islands, recently listed among the world's ten most beautiful spots for underwater scenery and the spectacular Phi Phi Islands near Phuket.
On the other side of the peninsula in the Gulf of Thailand is the Ang Thong Islands National Marine Park, a group of more than 40 beautiful islands off the west of Surat Thani province and near Ko Samui.
In Pattaya, scuba divers can organize daily trips from the resort to the offshore islands of Ko Lan, Ko Sak, and Ko Krok.